Stop device for registering mechanism.



I 0. F. LITTLEJOHN. STOP DEVICE FOR REGISTERING MECHANISMS- APPLIUATIONFILED NOV,28, 1906.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

I wan/01 a. F. L wuqahn Witnesses- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. LITTLEJOHN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS-SIGNMENTS, TO THE RECORDING REGISTER & FARE BOX COMPANY, OF NEW' HAVEN,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STOP DEVICE FOR REGISTERING MECHANISMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Application filed November 28, 1905. Serial No. 289,387.

New Haven and State of Connecticut, have" invented certain new anduseful Improveanism, of which the following is a in ments in StopDevices for Registering Mm?" clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to cash and ,fare registers, adding machines,calculatorseand to registering machines generally. u

Many of these machines are liable/to error through improper working, due0 overrunning of the registering wheels or other advanceable parts,especially when operated with considerable rapidity. Some/of theseregistering devices are also liable te be tampered with, eithermischievously t or maliciously, by advancing some of tl e wheels,particularly the units wheel, .lespecially where this wheel is advancedstep by step by a reciprocating movement. Such wheels, when accessible,may usually be advanced by pushing them around on their axis, eitherwhen the operating lever is in a particular position, or in some casesat any position of the operating lever.

The object of the invention is to provide means for positivelycontrolling the movement of the advanceable parts of such machines, andto prevent them from being advanced at a greater rate than is intended,either by the momentum of the parts, due to their rapid operation, or asa result of attempts to tamper with the mechanism, and falsify itsregistration.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of a portion of a registeringtrain, showing my improved devices in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is afront view in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing theadvancing or registering lever in its retracted position. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, but showing the advancing lever in its forwardor advanced position, at the opposite end of its stroke from that whichis shown in Fig. 2.

This invention is herein shown in connection with a familiar type ofregistering train. The units wheel 10 and tens wheel 11 and'the hundredswheel 12 are mounted three wheels may be connected together in variouswell-known ways, by gearing, including the well-known Geneva stopdevice, but this connection between these wheels forms no part of thepresent invention, it being assumed that they are positively gearedtogether in any well-known way.

The units wheel 10, which is the primary advanceable member in thetrain, is provided with a ratchet wheel 15, provided with indexing teeth16, generally ten in number, spaced in conformity with the eX- tent ofthe desired advancing movement, which is generally one tenth of arevolution in the ordinary registering train. [11 the drawing hereinshown, these teeth 16 are upon the peripheral surface of the ratchet.This units wheel is advanced in a wellknown way, by means of the feedpawl 17, pivoted upon the operating arm 18, which in turn is pivotallymounted upon the shaft 13. The return movement of the ratchet and itsunits wheel is prevented by means of the detent 19, which is pivotallymounted at 20, and engages one of the teeth 16 of the ratchet.

As thus far described, the device is of ordinary well-knownconstruction, providing for a step by step forward movement, andpreventing backward movement. But these devices as thus far described,permit the overrunning of the units wheel, due to their momentum underrapid operation, and also permit the pushing forward of the units wheel,either by accident or mischievously or maliciously. The means wherebythis advancement of the units wheel is prevented, and which forms thesubject of my present invention will now be described.

The units wheel 10, which for convenience, is herein designated theindex wheel, is provided with a circular series of teeth 23, which, inthe present embodiment, extend at the front side of the bracket wheel15, these teeth corresponding in number with the number of stepsrequired to advance the wheel one complete rotation. For convenience inmanufacture, the front faces of these teeth are, as herein shown, madecoincidentwith the front Faces of the indexing teeth 16 of the ratchet;wheel, although this is not a necessary feature, and these teeth may, if

to turn upon the axial shaft 18, the ends of desired, be a circularseries of pins. For which are supported in the frame 14. TheseULJHVQIHQIHQ o't reterenee these teeth are herein designated the stopteeth, to distinguish them from the indexing teeth 16. The stop pawl 21-is mounted for oscillation upon the pivotal support 28, and is providedwith projections 25 and 26, which extend into the circular pathway ofthe revolving series of stop teeth 23. These projections are preferablyso proportioned and disposed that one or the other of them is at alltimes within the pathway of the rotating teeth, so that at no time canthe index wheel be revolved, without carrying one of the stop teethagainst one of the projections 25 or 26, it being necessary, in order toadvance the index wheel, to oscillate the pawl, and thereby carry theprojections alternately out of the pathway of the said teeth, thedisposition of those projections, with relation to the circular spacingof the teeth, being such that when the projection is drawn out of thepathway to allow the adjacent stop tooth to' pass, the other projectionis carried between two of the stop teeth, and vice versa, so that byadvancing the index wheel, and oscillating the stop pawl in suitabletime relation, the stop teeth will in the normal operation of thedevice, pass the projections 25 and 26, alternately.

As a simple, convenient and compact means of oscillating the stop pawlto a suit able extent and in suitable time relation to the advancingindex wheel, the hub of the arm 18 is made cam-shaped, of a suitable.

contour to impart movement to the pawl, and preferably engages directlytherewith. The pawl may be held into contact with the cam surface bymeans of a s ring, but for positiveness of action, as we 1 as foreconomy of space and materials, I prefer to make the stop pawlbifurcated, as herein shown, with its bifurcations engaging the oppositesides of the cam-shaped hub, the contour of which is shaped to oscillatethe pawl positively back and forth, as the arm 18 is rotated to advancethe index wheel. Obviously however, the form of the pawl, thedisposition of its projections relative to the stop teeth, and itsconnection with the indexin arm may be modified in many ways to suitdifferent environments, and different conditions of service.

In the operation of this device, starting from the position shown inFig. 2, the arm 18, suitably connected with the devices which operateit, is moved downwardly, thereby advancing the index wheel. The tooth 23immediately adjacent to the lower projection-26 of the stop pawl, passesby that projection before the latter is moved downwardly into thepathway of the stop teeth, after which the upper projection 25 is movedout of the circular pathway in time to allow the succeeding adjacentstop tooth to pass by, as shown in Fig. 3. Upon arriving at representsthe forthe latter position, which ward end of the stroke, the arm 18 ismoved back to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby also carrying thestop pawl back to the position shown in that figure.

In the arrangement shown herein, in which the projections of the stoppawl are alternately withdrawn inside of the circular pathway ofrotation of the stop teeth, the distance apart of the points of the saidprojections is preferably somewhat greater than the inside diameter ofthe teeth, so that one or the other of the projections is always withinthe pathway of thestop teeth.

4 Although it is adesirable feature of the present invention that one orthe other of the projections 26 shallat all times thus extend into thepathway of the stop teeth, in order to prevent improper advancing of theindex Wheel at all portions of the stroke, yet that is not-an essentialfeature. In most instances, it is considered sufficient to block theforward movement of tl e index wheel, while the index arm is at res ateach end of its stroke, whether'in-the position shown in Fig. 2, or thatshown in Fig. 3. In such cases the projections 25 and 26 might be shortenough, so that'i both would be outof the pathway of thestop teeth 23 atthe middle of the stroke, in which case the index wheel mi ht beimproperly advanced at that particu ar period. 95 But atthat' particulartime there is little liability of-tampering with such devices, hence formany uses the projections 25 and 26 might be short enough to clear thestop teeth 23 at the said middle position of the 100 arm. But forcomplete security of operation I prefer to make the projections 25 and26 long enough,so that one or the other of them will be atv all times inthe pathway of revolution of the stop teeth.

I claim as my invention 1. In a registering machine, the combination ofan advanceable registering member provided with stop teeth, a stop pawlhavingprojections mounted to swing into and out of the pathway of theteeth of the advanceable member, and arranged to have one orthe other ofits projections at all times in the said pathway, and means foradvancing the registering member, provided also with means for movingthe stop pawl to carry its projections alternately out of the pathway ofthe teeth of the advancing member.

2. In a. registering machine, the combination of an advaneeable memberprovided with teeth, a stop pawl provided with projections extendinginto the pathway of the said teeth,-and means for advancing theadvanceable member, provided also with means for moving the stop pawl tofirst carry one of its projections into, and. then its other projectionout of the pathway of the said teeth at each advancing movement.

3. In a registering machine, means for controlling and limiting itsadvance movemovement, keeping one or the other of said projections atalltimes in the said pathway.

4. In a registering machine, meanstor positively controlling andlimiting the advance movement, having in combination an index memberprovided with a circular series of teeth. a pivotally mounted stop pawlprovided with projections having a distance between them less than thediameter of the circular pathway of the said teeth. an arm mounted foroscillation and provided with means for advancing the index member andwith means for oscillating the stop pawl to carry the projections of thesaid pawl alternately out of the pathway of said teeth at each advancemovement.

5. In a registering machine, means for positively advancing theregistering devices, and limiting their advance movement, having incombination an index wheel mounted -for rotation and provided with aseries of teeth, a stop pawl mounted for oscillation and provided withprojections extending into the pathway of the revolving teeth, an armmounted for oscillation, having means for ad 'ancing the index wheel,and provided also with a cam for oscillating the stop pawl to carry itsprojections alternately into and out of the pathway of the revolvingteeth.

6. In a registering machine, means for positively controlling andlimiting the advance movement of the registering train, having incombination an index wheel connected with the said train, provided witha series of teeth, a stop pawl mounted for oscillation on an axis at oneside of the axis of the index wheel, and provided with projectionsextending into the pathway of the revolving teeth of said whee], an armmounted for oscillation concentrically with the said wheel and providedwith means for advancing the. wheel one step for each oscilla tion ofthe arm, and provided also with a cam engaging with and oscillating thesaid pawl to carry its projections alternately out of the pathway of thesaid teeth, at each advancing movement.

7. In a registering machine, mechanism for positively controlling andlimiting the advance movement of the registering train,

having in continuation an index wheel mounted for rotation, andconnected with the registering train. and provided with a peripheralseries of teeth for the advancing movement, and with a series of stopteeth projecting at the side of the said wheel. a stop pawl mounted foroscillation at one side of the axis of the index wheel, and havingprojections extending into the pathway of the said sidewise projectingteeth of the index wheel, and an arm mounted for oscillation insubstantially concentric relation to the index wheel, and provided witha pawl for engaging with the peripheral teeth of said wheel, the armbeing also provided with a cam for oscillating the said pawl to carryits projections alternately into and out of the pathway of the stopteeth of the wheel.

8. In a registering machine, means for positively controlling andlimiting the adance movement of the registering train, having incombination an index wheel connected with the said train, and providedwith a circular series of stop teeth, a stop pawl mounted foroscillation upon an axis situated at one side of the axis of the saidwheel, and provided with oppositely disposed projections extendingoutwardly into the pathway of the said stop teeth at ap proximatelyopposite portions of their pathway, and means for advancing the indexwheel, provided with means for oscillating the pawl to withdraw its saidprojections alternately inside of the circular pathway of the said teethat each advancing movement.

9. I11 a registering machine, the combination of an index wheel mountedfor rotation and provided with a circular series of teeth, an ad'anceable member for the index wheel mounted for oscillation within thecircular pathway of the said teeth, and a bifur aited stop pawl mountedfor oscillation upon an axis at one side of the axis of the index wheel,with its bifurcations extending upon opposite sides of the axis of theadvancing member, and having projections extending into the circularpathway of the said teeth. the advancing member being provided with acam for oscillating the said stop pawl to carry the said projectionsalternately in 'ard out of the pathway of the. said teeth.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of November, 1905.

(l H AR- LE S F. LITTLEJ ll N.

\Vitnesses:

A. N. \VnEELnR, M. F. \V. SANFORD.

